Somatostatin

Somatostatin is a natural chemical messenger, called a hormone, that your body makes on its own. It is a tiny protein piece, called a peptide. Your body makes two sizes of it: a short one made of 14 building blocks and a longer one made of 28 building blocks. It is also known by another name, growth hormone-inhibiting hormone, because it tells the body to slow down making growth hormone. Scientists and doctors study it to understand how the body controls sugar, digestion, and growth.

Somatostatin works like an off switch. It is made in parts of the brain, the gut, and the pancreas, an organ near the stomach. When it is released, it tells other organs to hold back. It slows down the release of insulin and glucagon, two messengers that control blood sugar. It also stops growth hormone from being let out, giving the body time to make and store it.

Fat in a meal especially causes the longer form of somatostatin to be released, which helps the body digest fatty food more slowly. Most of what we know comes from lab and animal studies and a few old human experiments. In one study from the 1970s, giving somatostatin to people with type 1 diabetes stopped a dangerous condition called diabetic ketoacidosis by blocking glucagon. But somatostatin is not an approved medicine in its natural form, and blocking so many things at once can cause problems. Doctors sometimes use man-made versions instead. More human research is needed, and anyone considering hormone treatments should talk to a doctor.